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Ukraine - Starstreak

In addition to the Starstreak, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also have other MANPADS: the Soviet "Igla", the British Martlet, the French Mistral, the Polish Piorun and the American Stinger. Operators mastered the Starstreak MANPAD in less than a week. These were practical classes on simulators. Such training gave a clear understanding of how to control this type of weapon and introduced all the nuances that may arise during operation.

The biggest advantage of working with MANPADS is that the fighter is not tied to heavy equipment. This significantly increases the mobility and effectiveness of air defense and reduces the risk of detection of positions by the enemy. The disadvantage can be called the fact that during an air attack, the MANPADS operator places himself under attack, eliminating the threat from the sky. But compared to other military specializations, this risk is quite insignificant.

Starstreak has quite a few advantages over other MANPADS. The most important thing is that aiming at the target is done with the help of a laser, and not with a thermal trace. Of course, this complicates the work of the operator, who must "guide" the missiles fired from the Starstreak until they hit the enemy object, but it is precisely because of this feature that the complex is more effective. The Starstreak can engage small aerial targets, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which generate almost no heat, while a "classic" MANPADS simply cannot engage such a target.

Also, the design of Starstreak missiles does not have a homing head, so they are insensitive to thermal traps (special thermal missiles) released by the enemy to "confuse" air defense. Moreover, the missiles of this complex do not leave behind a characteristic trace, which makes it difficult for the enemy to detect the launch point.

To the greatest extent, the success of the task depends on whether the fighter received a warning about the air attack in time and whether he had time to prepare for work, as well as on his practical skills and physical characteristics.

The most important thing for a MANPADS operator is to have good vision and hearing. They are needed to detect targets, especially small ones. It is also necessary to be attentive, to be able to react quickly and control the situation. Working with heavy MANPADS, in particular the Starstreak, will require physical endurance and stability, because all parts of the complex often have to be carried on your own, because not all positions can be reached. And stability plays an important role when aiming and guiding the target until the moment of hitting.

In addition, the MANPADS operator must be able to choose a position for launching missiles so that it provides the necessary visibility on the one hand, and on the other - performs the function of camouflage. And also equip the shelter so that it fulfills its intended purpose and at the same time does not create obstacles to work.

For the first time in a decade, the French military-industrial group Thales will resume production of Starstreak man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), interest in which has increased amid the Ukrainian conflict. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal on 15 June 2023. The resumption of production of MANPADS will take a long time due to the complexity of creating weapons and problems with supply chains due to geopolitical tensions. The Starstreak will be made at a facility in Belfast, Ireland, where work is already underway to ramp up production of two other weapons used in the Ukraine conflict, including anti-tank weapons.

"The order, production and delivery of these missiles will take some time. Their production time is quite long," said Patrice Kane, head of Thales. The cost of this type of weapon has not been disclosed. Thales also intended to resume production of the 120mm munitions used in tanks and mortars, Kane said, as supplies to Ukraine have depleted Western allies' stockpiles. The production of these shells was also suspended over 10 years ago. The UK had repeatedly sent Starstreak MANPADS to Kyiv as part of military aid and weapons packages.

Russian publications specializing in military analysis report that the actual capabilities of modern British MANPADs are not as impressive as the manufacturer's advertisement. Under the battlefield conditions, the Starstreak's peculiar guidance system has proven to be useless, largely contributing to the low efficiency of the launches. The need for manual control by the operator on many occasions eliminated the technical advantages of the missile.

"[The Starstreak] is far from being a 'wonder weapon' that could solve all the problems and fill in the gaps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Dr. Andrei Koshkin, a veteran Russian academic specializing in military and international affairs issues, told Sputnik 11 August 2023. "A man-portable air defense system is a military invention that must be characterized by such parameters as height, range and target hitting efficiency," Koshkin said. "Their advantage is that it has an extremely high rocket speed, initially over Mach 3. (…) The next important point, which makes it superior to other missiles, is that it releases three darts that go in the direction of the target. And if even one dart out of three hits an air target, then, of course, it will be hit. Three in one sounds impressive. It increases the odds of hitting the target of defeat three times."

The missile system requires an operator to "guide" the missile throughout the engagement process, while other MANPAD rockets are mostly working in a "fire and forget" mode, according to Koshkin. The operator uses the aiming unit which projects two laser beams onto the target, while the missile's sensors calculate the relative positions until impact.

"This, of course, complicates the work of the operator. The 'fire and forget' principle means that [an operator] makes a shot and then jumps into the trench in order to save his life. Why? Because after the missile has been launched, one can immediately detect the location of the MANPADS operator. And [when it comes to the Starstreak] it is necessary to shoot and then keep the target in focus," explained Koshkin, adding that the sky over the battlefield is almost always hazy, which reduces the chances of hitting.

The missile is not inexpensive. In fact it costs more than a Stinger missile, as per open sources. Thus, the Starstreak's missile price tag is about £100,000-130,000 ($127,000- $168,740) while the Stinger's missile costs around $119,000. That means that the operator cannot afford to waste the British-made missiles on myriads of cheaper drones in the battle zone, according to Koshkin.